People walk along Tom McCall Waterfront Park as cherry trees blossom near the bank of the Willamette River in Portland, Ore. The city ranks seventh for the top park systems in the nation. Rick Bowmer, AP

The National Mall from the Lincoln Memorial. Washington, D.C., ranked sixth for the top park system. Alex Brandon, AP

Andrew Blender, of State College, Pa., pays his respects while visiting the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall on Memorial Day. The Washington, D.C., site is overseen by the National Park Service. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

Hundreds of artists work and display their crafts at the Art Studios at Spanish Village Art Center in San Diego's Balboa Park. The city's park system ranked ninth in the Trust for Public Land's annual ParkScore survey. Art Studios at Spanish Village Art Center, San Diego

A woman jogs near a statue of George Washington at Boston Common. The city tied for third in the ParkScore survey with Sacramento and San Francisco.
Julio Cortez, AP

A man takes advantage of the hot weather to sun bathe in Central Park in New York City. The city ranked second in the Trust for Public Land's second annual park system survey. Timothy Clary, AFP/Getty Images